A situation that describes opposite quantities that, when combined, equal 0 is when you have a set of positive and negative numbers that cancel each other out. For example:
Imagine you have 5 units of something (like 5 dollars), and then you have an equal but opposite quantity of that same thing in the negative (like a debt of 5 dollars).
When you combine these two quantities:
5 + (-5) = 0
This means that the gain of 5 units is completely offset by the loss of 5 units, resulting in a total of 0.
This principle can also apply in various contexts, such as:
- In physics, if an object moves 10 meters to the right and then 10 meters to the left, its overall displacement is 0.
- In a balance scale, having 3 kg on one side and -3 kg on the other side would keep the scale balanced at 0.
These scenarios illustrate the concept of combining opposite quantities to achieve a total of 0.
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